Why Approving Content
When someone submits a document or risk assessment for approval, it needs your sign-off before it can be published. Approving content creates a clear record of who reviewed what and when—essential for compliance and audits. Your Inbox shows everything that needs your attention, so you don't have to hunt through Documents or Risks to find pending approvals. Once you approve or reject, that action is recorded in the audit trail and the workflow moves forward (or back to draft if rejected).
How to View Pending Approvals
Go to your Inbox (the default landing page when you open your site)
Look for cards labelled Pending Approval or Approval Required
Each card shows the document or risk assessment name, the approval stage, and when it was requested
Toggle Show completed to see approvals you've already actioned
How to Approve a Document
In your Inbox, click Review Document on the approval card, or go to Documents and open the document
If you're on the document page, open the Actions tab in the sidebar—the approval card appears there when you have a pending approval
Switch to the draft version (click Switch to Draft Version if prompted—you must view the draft to approve)
Review the content, then click Approve or Reject
If rejecting, enter a reason in the dialog—this helps the author understand what to change
The document moves to the next approval stage (or to published if you were the final approver). If you reject, it returns to draft.
How to Approve a Risk Assessment
In your Inbox, click Review Assessment on the approval card, or go to Risks and open the assessment
The Approval Required card appears at the top when you have a pending approval
Review the risk items and any comments, then click Approve or Reject
If rejecting, you must add a comment explaining why—this is required
The assessment moves to the next stage or to published. If you reject, it returns to draft.
How to View Approval History
For documents: Open the document, click Manage in the header, then open the Approvals tab. You'll see past workflows, who approved or rejected at each stage, and when.
For risk assessments: Open the assessment and check the approval workflow section in the sidebar or details.
In your Inbox: Toggle Show completed to see approvals you've already actioned—they show as Approved or Rejected with the date.
Before You Start
You'll only see approval requests when you're assigned as an approver in an approval policy. If you're assigned via a group, any member of that group can approve. You need the Manager role (or higher) for Documents or Risks to view and act on approvals for those modules.
Common Questions
Why can't I approve? For documents, you must be viewing the draft version—click Switch to Draft Version first. For risk assessments, ensure you've added a comment if rejecting (comments are required for rejection).
Where do approval requests come from? When someone submits a document or risk assessment for approval, the system creates approval tasks for each approver at the current stage. You receive a notification and the item appears in your Inbox.
Can I undo an approval? No. Once you approve or reject, the action is recorded. If you rejected by mistake, the author can make changes and resubmit.
What about form submission approvals? Some forms require approval of individual submissions. Those appear in your Inbox as form submission approvals—open the submission, review the answers, and approve or reject from there.